June 4, 2010

By Brian Bujdos

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) and the Council of Europe released reports today that claim the World Health Organization (WHO) provoked unjustified fears regarding the severity of the H1N1 Swine Flu virus, and that the WHO did not disclose a conflict of interest with regard to who crafted its guidelines for the use of antiviral drugs.

The AFP (Agence France-Presse) in Paris reports that the antiviral drug guidelines were prepared in 2004 by professionals who were paid consultants for Roche and GlaxoSmithKline, the two companies that manufacture the only effective prescription medications for the H1N1 Swine Flu virus. Roche is the maker of Tamiflu, and GlaxoSmithKline produces Relenza. The BMJ reports also states that at least one expert on the 16-member “emergency committee” convened in 2009 to advise the WHO on whether and when to declare a pandemic received payment from GSK in 2009.

Just a day before these reports, the WHO held a press conference to state that the organization would keep the alert scale for H1N1 at its highest level, Phase 6, which means H1N1 is still a pandemic. Although Swine Flu activity has sharply declined around the world, the WHO insisted a small mutation of the virus could cause it to spread more rapidly or become more lethal. To date, the WHO states that the H1N1 virus has claimed just over 18,000 lives worldwide.

Tamiflu, and to a lesser extent, Relenza, was in high demand in the U.S. beginning in early May of 2009 and straight through the summer. By July there were more than 30,000 confirmed cases and 170 deaths in the U.S., and governments worldwide worked quickly to “fast-track” billions of dollars of vaccines, most of which have gone unused.

Although some have stated that it’s better to err on the side of caution, a member of the WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation was quoted in the BMJ report as saying it is reprehensible that authors of WHO policies could be paid at the same time by drug manufacturers.

The WHO has refused to identify members who sit on their policy committees. The BMJ report was co-authored by the London-based non-profit Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

The Council of Europe also lambasted the WHO for its lack of transparency, and joined other organizations in saying that the WHO’s credibility has been greatly damaged. The WHO has announced that it has launched two investigations, including one by an independent panel of experts.

Due to the above reports, some have expressed concerns of a potential lack of future response to a virus that does indeed cause a severe outbreak or pandemic.

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